- Agency
- Tarleton State University
- Location
- Stephenville, Texas
- Job Category
- Graduate Assistantships
- Salary
- $1600/month for 30 month (2.5 years) commitment, including health benefits as an employee of Tarleton State University and the Texas A&M University System. Out-of-state tuition costs are waived; students are responsible for costs of in-state tuition and fees. Students will receive assistance through the hire of field technicians, compensation for travel and lab costs, and funding to present research at a professional conference of their choice.
- Start Date
- 06/01/2023
- Last Date to Apply
- 03/17/2023
- Description
- The Mitchell Lab in the Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources at Tarleton State University is seeking a highly motivated student to receive a M.S. in Agriculture and Natural Resource to explore pollinator-plant relationships in Texas grasslands for Summer 2023. This project is part of a collaborative research partnership between Tarleton, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and Texas A&M University-Kingsville supported through USDA-NIFA-NLGCA funding. The goal of this project is to explore the use of grass pollen as supplemental feed in pollinator seed mixes. Although grasses are primarily wind-pollinated, native insects have been observed collecting grass pollen in field studies and may serve as an alternative forage during drought events of when other flowering plants are limited in season. The student will explore pollinator insect networks associated with grasses in North Texas through field survey, assess productivity and nutritive value of grass pollen through molecular analysis, and assist in the development of a pollinator insect collection and pollen library at Tarleton. To apply, please email the following materials as a single PDF file to Adam Mitchell (abmitchell@tarleton.edu)” 1) a single-page cover letter describing professional goals and which of the two positions you have interest, 2) a resume or CV, 3) copy of academic transcript (official or unofficial), and 4) contact information for three references. Please include the subject line “YOURNAME_PollinatorMS”. For questions, contact Dr. Mitchell by email or call (254)-459-5334.
- Qualifications
- B.S. in ecology, entomology, natural resources, plant science, range management, or other related fields with GPA of at least 3.0 required. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in plant and insect identification and sampling, experience with statistical software (R statistical programming or equivalent), and scientific writing. Students must be self-motivated, able to work independently in adverse field conditions (esp. hot weather and stinging insects) and in remote areas, and must have a valid driver’s license.
- Contact Person
- Dr Adam Mitchell
- Contact eMail
- abmitchell@tarleton.edu
